The Birth of Venus
Book description
Alessandra Cecchi is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back from northern Europe to decorate the chapel walls in the family’s Florentine palazzo. A child of the Renaissance, with a precocious mind and a talent for drawing, Alessandra is intoxicated by the…
Why read it?
1 author picked The Birth of Venus as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I liked this historical fiction novel for many reasons. First, I recently visited Florence and was introduced to the story of the monk Savonarola, so I enjoyed the mentioned sights and historical context. Secondly, I appreciated the structure of the novel, with the main point of view being a young well-to-do woman married off to a much older man.
Through the conversations of husband and wife and those of the wife and her slave/maid, the political, religious, and societal events unfold. There's tension throughout as the rising puritanical tide overwhelms Florentine society.
Really well done and a fascinating story of…
From Lisa's list on historical fiction with a strong female lead.
Want books like The Birth of Venus?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Birth of Venus.
Share your top 3 reads of 2024!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,206
readers submitted
so far, will you?
